


shine bright for eight nights

by remembermyfic



Category: Men's Hockey RPF
Genre: Hanukkah, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-21
Updated: 2018-12-21
Packaged: 2019-09-23 20:37:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 554
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17087318
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/remembermyfic/pseuds/remembermyfic
Summary: Zach’s been getting gifts for seven days. It wouldn’t generally be considered strange with it being Hanukkah.No, what makes the gifts different is that they’re all from Willy.





	shine bright for eight nights

**Author's Note:**

  * For [ShannonElizabeth](https://archiveofourown.org/users/ShannonElizabeth/gifts), [AlainaCorrigan](https://archiveofourown.org/users/AlainaCorrigan/gifts).



> This is late because I had to wait for the Disaster Squad to finish reading it. 
> 
> You know the people? Click out. You're welcome in advance. 
> 
> For S. Really that's all.

Zach’s been getting gifts for seven days. It wouldn’t generally be considered strange with it being Hanukkah. Zach gets a couple of things a year from his parents and family, commercialization of the holiday and all.

No, what makes the gifts different is that they’re all from Willy.

Given this rather strange turn of events, it shouldn’t be as much of the surprise it feels like when Willy steps into the locker room on Day Eight without a gift.

“I forgot it,” Willy says, sheepish and suspicious when Zach opens his mouth.

“I uh,” Zach blinks. “I was going to ask about the power play?”

Willy blushes. Zach makes himself ignore how attractive that flush is. “You saw something?”

“Yeah. Wait, Willy-“

“You already got me too many, blah, blah, blah. You don’t celebrate Christmas and we don’t celebrate Hanukkah.”

It’s the same argument he presented at the beginning. It had been a little more drawn out – too drawn out considering it was sparked by a bag of Oreos – but the content is the same.

“Look. It’s the last day. Then you don’t have to deal with anymore gifts,” Willy argues.

“That’s not the point-“

“Just come by mine after practice. Eighth gift is the last one, right?”

Zach’s heart twists strangely. He doesn’t like it. It’s not into exploring why.

“Yeah?”

“Yeah.” Zach’s nodding, but it feels strange. It takes him through practice, anxiety twisting weirdly in his gut. Even the routine of practice can’t get Willy’s antsy behaviour and dismissing words out of his mind. It shows in Willy’s practice too, which really throws Zach. Willy goofs around during practice, but he’s outright missing Matty’s passes.

“What’s up with Willy?” Mitchy asks, bumping Zach against the boards. “He’s weird. Did you let him down gently?”

Zach doesn’t visibly start. His stomach does roll though. “What?”

“the whole Hanukkah wooing thing he’s doing,” Mitch replies. “He has been, hasn’t he? With the gifts and everything.”

“Hanukkah presents are just presents.”

“If it were me or Matty, sure,” Mitch agrees easily. “But Willy’s been, like… fretting over these things forever.”

Which absolutely does not help Zach’s mindset about the whole thing. It actually makes it worse, brings the butterflies out in full force. It makes him feel awkward as he stands outside of Willy’s door. He opens it swiftly when Zach knocks, with an honest-to-god bow on his head.

“You’re wearing a bow,” Zach says and he knows he sounds dumb.

“I wasn’t going to,” Willy admits as he steps back. “Mitch said he talked to you.”

Zach’s heart soars and he feels like Willy’s just shoved him too hard against the boards. “He was right?”

“I mean- What?” Willy asks. “Dude, I’m not subtle.”

“I didn’t know.”

Willy barks out a weird sort of laughter. It makes it a little awkward until Zach clears his throat, then reaches up to flick the bow. “Does that make you my eighth present?”

“Save the best for last, right?” Willy answers, but there’s something shaky about it. There’s a flush on his cheeks that Zach can’t help but watch, let himself linger in it. He thinks maybe Willy’s breath catches as Zach reaches out to tug him in, plucking the bow off his head in the process.

“Yeah,” he murmurs, and leans in for a kiss.


End file.
